Mamdani defeated Andrew Cuomo to win New York City's mayoral race.
Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani has defeated Andrew Cuomo to win New York City’s mayoral race.
The 34-year-old democratic socialist had been facing off against 67-year-old Cuomo, the former governor who was running as an independent after losing to Mamdani in the primary.
Muslim
Mamdani becomes the first Muslim mayor, the first person of South Asian descent, and the first person born in Africa to lead the city.
He joins a small handful of people born overseas to hold the keys to Gracie Mansion, since New York City threw off its colonial shackles almost two centuries ago.
Liberal voters
Mamdani, whose victory, which stretches from the gentrified corridors of Brooklyn to the working-class immigrant enclaves of Queens, completed one of the most remarkable political upsets in New York history and will soon put a democratic socialist in City Hall.
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He drew liberal voters with plans for free childcare, free bus transport and a rent freeze affecting roughly one million rent-regulated New Yorkers.
New York mayor
Mamdani was set to address an exuberant watch party held at the Brooklyn Paramount theatre later on Tuesday, following a day of historic voter turnout, according to Al Jazeera.
Mamdani has indirectly acknowledged his win on social media.
In a post on X, the self-described democratic socialist shared a video of a subway car’s doors opening as an announcer says: “The next and last stop is City Hall.”
‘Jew hater’
Unabashedly playing the race card, President Donald Trump on Tuesday labelled Mamdani, who would be New York’s first Muslim mayor, as a “Jew hater.”
“Any Jewish person who votes for Zohran Mamdani, a proven and self-professed Jew-hater, is a stupid person!!!” the Republican president posted on his social media platform.
New York
Last year, Mamdani explained why he was running for mayor of New York City.
“Every politician says New York is the greatest city in the world. But what good is that if no one can afford to live here? I’m running for Mayor to lower the cost of living for working-class New Yorkers.”
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